


it's a wicked world, my lovely, but you don't have to let it in

by janie_tangerine



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: (and he gets it ofc), (eventually I guess), Canon Universe, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Needs a Hug, Hurt/Comfort, Jaskier | Dandelion Loves Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, M/M, Protective Jaskier | Dandelion, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 09:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23969218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/janie_tangerine/pseuds/janie_tangerine
Summary: Jaskier usually does love his fellow human beings - he wouldn’t have chosen a job that requires reading a room, talking to people, writing songs that make them feel things and performing for them if he didn’t. He likes being around people, he likes entertaining people, he likes bedding them when they’re willing and there’s a mutual attraction and so what if he does enjoy the attention? No one in his line of work doesn’t have a thing for being the center of attention at least when performing.That is to say, he does love his fellow citizen, usually, most of the time… except when he doesn’t, and when he doesn’t he understands on a molecular level why it is that Geralt keeps to himself most times, as much as Jaskier’s been working for years to make sure that changes.Right now, he thinks he right about hates everyone in his line of sight, Geralt excluded.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 21
Kudos: 435





	it's a wicked world, my lovely, but you don't have to let it in

**Author's Note:**

> Written for an anon on tumblr who while I was taking prompt from a list of lines asked for Geralt/Jaskier + 'I wish we had more time', which I tried to take in the least dramatic way I could but still. /o\ have some fluff where people are stupid and Jaskier is not. ;) the title is from brian fallon and nothing belongs to me whatsoever.

Jaskier usually _does_ love his fellow human beings - he wouldn’t have chosen a job that requires reading a room, _talking_ to people, writing songs that make them _feel_ things and performing for them if he didn’t. He likes being around people, he likes entertaining people, he likes bedding them when they’re willing and there’s a mutual attraction and so what if he _does_ enjoy the attention? No one in his line of work doesn’t have a thing for being the center of attention at least when performing.

That is to say, he _does_ love his fellow citizen, usually, most of the time… except when he doesn’t, and when he doesn’t he understands on a molecular level _why_ it is that Geralt keeps to himself most times, as much as Jaskier’s been working for years to make sure that changes.

 _Right now_ , he thinks he right about hates everyone in his line of sight, Geralt excluded.

He can’t fucking believe that the man was just trying to be nice _as usual_ and now -

Well.

So _maybe_ while he was out on a hunt in the afternoon Jaskier had figured he’d… try to make things easier for him when he came back. He had been practicing on the outside because it was a lovely day, a bunch of children had showed up asking him if he could play this and that, he had been delighted to oblige, he got asked questions and he answered them truthfully. They had been _innocuous_ questions, on top of that. They asked him who he was, who he traveled with, how long he was going to stay, and he had answered, and a girl had said _but Mother says witchers are dangerous_ , and so maybe Jaskier had proceeded to explain in very vague terms that no, witchers weren’t dangerous and yes they protect people and _yes_ , the one traveling with him was especially nice and he certainly wouldn’t hurt any of them if they wanted to say hi.

At _that_ point, Geralt had showed up at the end of the road, and Jaskier had seen that it must have been a decent hunt, all things considered - Geralt certainly looked dusty, tired and his boots were covered in mud, but he only had a splatter of dark blood on his cheek that could have been taken for ink, no wounds anywhere and he obviously hadn’t taken any potion, not when he didn’t look like he was about to faint on his feet.

The girl had asked if _that_ was the witcher in question, Jaskier had confirmed it and a moment later all ten of them had ran towards Geralt to _ask him questions_ , and after a moment of looking like a fish out of water Geralt _had_ risen up to the occasion, kneeling to their height and actually answering said questions and taking them very seriously -

That is, until _all the goddamned parents_ showed up, grabbing their kids and calling for the alderman because _of course_ if Geralt was even talking to them then he was planning to feed them to some forest god or _whatever the hell_ the local witcher-related prejudice says, and so now Geralt is looking crestfallen and with the face of someone who just got kicked in the ribs even if Jaskier seems to be the only one noticing it, half of the town is sending him menacing looks regardless of the fact that he’s obviously carrying proof of his kills in the sack he had left on the ground and someone is talking about _calling the guards_.

Fuck.

He needs to solve this disaster _before_ it gets even worse.

“My good people,” he says, moving swiftly in between Geralt and the crowd, “I am quite sure this is just a huge misunderstanding.”

“As if,” a man says, “ _he_ was talking to my daughter!”

Geralt flinches imperceptibly - Jaskier thinks he only feels that because he’s right behind him.

Jaskier _could_ tell the man that _he_ also was talking to her or that the daughter was the one who asked Geralt questions first, but he has a feeling that wouldn’t really fly.

Maybe sometimes a swift retreat really is the best idea, he decides, even if he wants to punch that righteous son of a bitch in his face.

“You know what,” he says, “I wish we had more time, the witcher and I, but as he has to collect his pay from the alderman and I am feeling quite tired for the day, I think we’ll be out of your hair and stay in our lodgings until tomorrow, how about _that_?”

“The alderman is coming here, we did ask him -”

“How _convenient_ ,” Jaskier says, grabbing Geralt’s arm, “then we can go meet him midway and spare everyone more loss of their precious time, huh? Have an _amazing_ evening, my friends,” he says, and then drags Geralt towards the alderman’s house - Geralt, bless him, follows without protesting, and they _do_ indeed meet the man en route. Geralt takes his payment and leaves him the sack, and Jaskier _would_ have told him to just camp outside… but they _did_ pay for their room at the inn and Roach is in the stable already and it’s dusk, no point in wasting the coin and being uncomfortable.

“Come on,” he says, “let’s just go upstairs and we can be out of their hair tomorrow. I’m not even bothering to play for _this_ crowd.”

Geralt hums something in agreement, and Jaskier doesn’t miss that he hasn’t said a word except when talking to the alderman since the incident before.

Shit. For once that he was hoping to do something _nice_ for him -

He shakes his head as they go upstairs - he doesn’t think either of them wants food - and locks the door behind him as Geralt takes the first chair and drops down on it, looking tired down to his bones.

He places his lute against the wall, then moves behind Geralt, putting a hand on his shoulder, figuring that he’ll see if he doesn’t want to be crowded right now before going straight for it. “You know they’re a bunch of ignorant arses, don’t you?”

Geralt shrugs minutely, not telling him to move his hand. “Nothing new under the sun,” he finally says dryly, and Jaskier wishes he didn’t sound so _resigned_.

“Yeah, well.” He waits another moment, then moves his entire arm around Geralt’s chest, lips brushing the hair on the crown of his head, and he stays still until Geralt breathes out and lets himself fall back against him, going almost boneless - Jaskier moves the other arm around him, so that he’s holding Geralt from behind. “At least those kids will know their parents are full of shit, and maybe _their_ kids won’t need to be explained that your lot isn’t out to fucking _eat_ them.” He moves to the side, pressing his lips to Geralt’s cheek. “And you didn’t deserve any of that nonsense.”

Geralt says nothing for a while, his fingers wrapped around Jaskier’s wrists, and then he closes his eyes, his head falling in the crook of Jaskier’s neck.

“Your effort is appreciated,” he says, barely audible but _meaning_ it, and Jaskier doesn’t quite break the hold before moving in front of Geralt and straddling him so he can give him a _proper_ hug, not a half-one from behind that prevents him from running his fingers through Geralt’s hair, and it doesn’t matter that it could use a wash and that both of them are dirty and dead tired.

Jaskier thinks he won’t move for a very long time, and considering how Geralt’s hands are grasping tight at his back, neither will _he_ , and he wouldn’t want it any other way.

End.


End file.
